Category: Podcast

🕹️ 🏁 From building race cars and owning a computer store chain to creating toys for millions, Jeri Ellsworth’s early achievements set the stage for a groundbreaking career. She then moved on to creating an entire Commodore 64 into one of its iconic joysticks, played a pivotal role in creating components found in most VR headsets today, and even convinced the legendary, Gabe Newell at Valve to sell her the technology that is now Tilt Five, the world’s first augmented reality tabletop gaming system. Listen in to this week’s episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast to explore Jeri’s early adventures to breaking into Silicon Valley and her take on the future of AR in games.

Join host Lizzie Mintus as she sits down with Charles ‘Chuck’ Tolman, a seasoned CTO with a rich history in the video game industry. Chuck’s career began at Atari in 1993, and he has since made significant contributions to over 30 games, including major franchises such as titles like Spider-Man, Call of Duty, and The Walking Dead. Discover Chuck’s insights on how his leadership propelled Skydance’s success in VR gaming, and explore valuable tips for VR game development, including navigating technical challenges, creating immersive experiences, and balancing gameplay mechanics.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast, where Lizzie Mintus sits down with Jen Donahoe. Jen started her career in the toy industry at Hasbro, Disney, and Mattel before moving to the game industry, where she led marketing and growth teams at EA, Zynga, Scopely, and Riot. Today, she is a strategic marketing consultant at Beta Hat and Jade Inferno Consulting.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast, where host Lizzie Mintus sits down with Scott Hartsman, Advisor at Brain Jar Games and an active investor in various companies. Scott has an extensive track record in the game industry, with a portfolio of successes dating back to the early days of online gaming. From EverQuest 1 and 2 to Rift, Trove, ArcheAge, Gemstone, Scepter, and even online Warcraft, his contributions have generated billions in revenue and engaged hundreds of millions of players. We dive deep into the secrets to creating successful live games, streamlining hiring processes, and making tough decisions as a leader.

🎮 Join us as we sit down with Trinidad Hermida-Black, the Executive Director of Black in Gaming Foundation and CEO of The Hermida Company, focusing on “Building Equity through Empathy.” Her work includes shaping inclusive strategies at billion-dollar corporations, launching Niantic’s Black Developers Initiative, and so much more. Listen now for insights on hiring based on potential, fostering genuine internal communities, career “cheat codes,” navigating board positions, and more.

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Russell Ovans, Board Member at East Side Games (ESG). Russell is a free-to-play games executive with a track record of strategic management and growing businesses through the creation of innovative products and proprietary software systems. He is a software engineer, educator, entrepreneur, author, angel investor, brewery founder, data scientist, and more. Tune in to explore key topics such as the importance of having a growth mindset, understanding data literacy across gaming roles, and navigating career paths both within and outside the gaming industry.

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Don McGowan, former General Counsel at Bungie. Don’s career also included stops at The Pokémon Company International and Xbox Game Studios Publishing, where he launched some of the biggest IPs in gaming. Tune in as we delve into Bungie’s groundbreaking “Pizza Attack” case and explore the legal side of the gaming industry. We’ll discuss topics like Employee Safety and Employer Obligations, Brand IP and M&A Strategies, AI and Copyright Issues, the Epic Games vs Apple Antitrust Lawsuit, and more.

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Mitch Gitelman, a 30-year veteran of the game industry and former CEO of Harebrained Schemes, known for hits like the Shadowrun Returns and Battletech. Mitch shares wisdom on navigating layoffs with compassion, fostering meaningful industry connections, offering tips on maintaining culture through acquisitions and starting a studio, and more!

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Jon Radoff, co-founder and CEO of Beamable, to explore the future of gaming. Discover the transformative potential of generative AI and immersive technologies, and how they intersect with social networking, content creation, and online communities to shape the next generation of the game industry.

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Joshua Howard, the COO of OtherSide Entertainment, to talk about fostering employee growth through effective leadership. Joshua discusses the relationship between management and game design, how to be an effective leader, and the value of having a diverse team.